St Mary’s Catholic Church Chorley



CHORLEY AND PRESTON HOSPITALS: Please contact St Joseph's Chorley (262713) if any member of your family is admitted into Chorley Hospital and needs a visit. Please, by making a request for the visit, make sure that the ward staff understand that you would like the RC Chaplain to come and administer the Sacraments to your loved one, The ward staff will call the Chaplain on his bleep/phone. For the chaplaincy service at Royal Preston Hospital please ring 01772 522435. For the chaplaincy service at Wigan Infirmary T. 01942 822324.

PARISH CENTRE: The parish centre is open from Thursday to Sunday. Please note that in accordance with new COVID-19 rules it will close at 22.00.

THANK YOU to Dr Jane Eccles for the flowers for the Altars. They are very beautiful.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNICANTS We will have 5 children at each weekend Mass for the next three weekends, making their First Holy Communion. Please pray for the children and their families. The whole of the pews on Our Lady’s side will be reserved for the children and their families. Please leave these pews free. Thank you.

There are 30 children in the group, and we are on our first weekend for the children to receive this most precious Sacrament of the Lord, Himself. Each family can have 6 people attend the Mass and that includes the child who is making their First Holy Communion. After the Mass has finished, please carry on with your plans and do not congregate outside. Thank you.

SAFEGUARDING NOTICE: Please make sure that you only photograph your child. Please do not take photos of the other children without consent from their parents. No photos in church during Mass, please.

URGENT APPEAL: We took the beautiful preemie hats and red hearts over to the nursing staff at RPH and they were thrilled. Many thanks to everyone. Keep them coming, if you can. Thank you.

COVID 19 PRECAUTIONS – please note that Regulations now require wearing of face masks in church and the mask should cover both mouth and nose. HANDS, FACE AND SPACE: Please keep safe and maintain social distancing of two metres. RULE OF SIX applies to all ages and everyone. Weddings can be attended by only 15 people. Funerals remain at 30 people attending. Please make sure that you conform to the rules. We have a moral and legal duty to do everything we can to combat this noxious virus. The church will remain open for as long as possible.

Parish Priest: Fr. Francis Marsden

Deacon Norman Arrowsmith

Tel: 01257 262537

Parish website: stmarys-

Parish Office now open: 10.30 -13.00, 14.00 -16.00 Tues – Fri.

Parish Centre: 270122 or 07971 025985 (Manager – Heather Roscoe)

LIVERPOOL ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESAN TRUSTEES INC. Registered Charity No. 232709

St Mary’s Catholic Church, Chorley

XXVI SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

27th SEPTEMBER 2020

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go,” but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him. Matthew 21:28-32 

Mon-Fri 11.00-13.00 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament except for 12.00 Mass

Sat 26th

16.00-16.45 Open-air Confessions – presbytery garden, house porch if raining.

17.00 Mass – Elizabeth Alice Anderton (A)

Sun 27th XXVI SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

10.00 Mass – Parishioners

11.30 Mass at St Joseph’s Anderton – Catherine Cross

Mon 28th St Wenceslas, St Laurence Ruiz and companions

12.00 Mass – Sp Int (LA)

Tues 29th SS Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

12.00 Mass – Mary Dorothea Thompson (A)

Wed 30th St Jerome, St Honorius of Canterbury

12.00 Mass – Catherine McCarrick (birthday remembrance)

Thurs 1st Oct St Therese of the Child Jesus

12.00 Mass – Thomas Gunn (A)

Fri 2nd The Holy Guardian Angels

12.00 Mass – Uganda Group 25 yrs Charitable Works (Jackson Family)

Sat 3rd SS Cosmas and Damian

16.00-16.45 Open-air Confessions – presbytery garden, house porch if raining.

17.00 Mass – Elizabeth (Betty) Simmonds (A)

Sun 4th XXVII SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

10.00 Mass – George Ormerod (A)

11.30 Mass at St Joseph’s Anderton – Karl Manley (thanksgiving)

Please pray for the sick and the housebound: Emily Atkins, Kevin Bailey, Brigid Cain, Michael Collins, Hughie Daly, Yvonne Finlayson, Carol Focske, Desmond Gorman, Anne Higginson, Jacob Hughes, Eileen Howard, Debbie MacFarlane, Fr Malcolm Prince, Molly Redhead, Canon Bert Shaw, Eileen Snape, Maureen Sweeney, Mgr. Jan Szponar, Terry Tingey, Bridget Trimm, Muriel Wilson, Frank Waring, Ann Woodruff, Agnes Young and parishioners in The Adelphi, The Gables, Westwood, Gillibrand Hall.

ANNIVERSARIES: Ellen Enderby, Frederick Enderby, Elizabeth Anderton, Mary Dorothea Thompson, Thomas Gunn, George Ormerod.

ANNUAL MASS COUNT: Weekend No 2 this weekend. Last weekend there were 46 at 5pm (Sat) and 63 at 10am (Sun).

STEWARDS FOR MASSES: We need more volunteers to help us out, especially Monday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes.

FINANCIAL MATTERS: Thank you to everyone who has sent in their Gift Aid envelopes and offerings. It is truly appreciated in these times of hardship.

ONLINE GIVING: There is a new online giving facility to our parish at

- you can donate directly to our parish. Just click on the link and follow the instructions. Thank you very much.

READERS: 27th September. Sat: 17.00 Gillian Sharples. Sun: 10.00 Rosemary Grime 04th October. Sat: 17.00 Ian McLelland. Sun: 10.00 Marion Herbert.

11th October. Sat: 17.00 Jenni Wilson. Sun: 10.00 Margaret Arrowsmith.

BAPTISMS: If you would like your child baptised, please make arrangements through the Parish Office.

FRIENDS OF UGANDA GROUP: There is a Mass of Thanksgiving on 2nd October, offered for all the excellent work during 25 years of this group. The Mass has been requested by the Jackson Family. There is also a message from Fr Charlie Beirne asking us to thank all the members of the Uganda Group and all the works that have been achieved in order to help the needy children and their families. Your efforts are hugely appreciated by many people. Thank you and God Bless.

PLEASE PRAY FOR

All suffering the effects of the Coronavirus, and against its spread. For all in the Health Service treating the sick. The scientists and medics working to develop vaccines and medicines against COVID-19.

The people of Belarus, for an end to tyranny and for fair and free elections.

Zimbabwe, that the Holy Spirit may strengthen the Catholic bishops, who have called for truth, justice and an end to corruption, and have come under sharp attack from the Government.

The people of Beirut and Lebanon, rebuilding after the disastrous port explosion.

CATHOLIC NEWSPAPERS - Please think of buying the Universe/Catholic Times (£1.50) which can be found on the long table near the exit doors. The Catholic press generally is struggling to survive. This week Fr Marsden has an article about the Lincolnshire Uprising, which began 1st October 1536, when 40,000 Catholic men marched on Lincoln in protest against Henry VIII’s seizure of the monasteries, and which led to the North of England rising against Henry in the Pilgrimage of Grace.

THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL tells the parable of the man who had two sons. The father asked one of his sons to go and work in the vineyard. His son said that he would not go but he changed his mind and he went. The second son said that he would go but he did not go. Some turn away from their righteousness to do evil while some turn from their evil ways to do righteousness. 

The son who promised to go and work in the vineyard, but he did not go, he broke his promise. He was no different than God's chosen people of the Old Testament who broke the Old Covenant. He was no different than the people within the Church today who break the new Covenant of God by turning away from His righteous ways.

Jesus asked, "Which of the two did the will of his father?" Naturally, we all know that it is the one who obeyed. Similarly some converts make better Catholics than cradle Catholics. Do you know why? It is because, before they joined the Catholic faith, they studied and studied the Sacred Word of God that is found in the Holy Scriptures. They studied the writings of the early Church Fathers. They did years of research to prove to themselves beyond any doubt, that what the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church teaches, it is the One and only Truth. How many Catholics have made as much effort to learn about the Will of God and His true Church? Is it not true that many take their religious belief for granted, slacking off here and there?

QUOTATIONS FROM ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX

“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” 

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” 

“The world's thy ship and not thy home.” 

“A soul in a state of grace has nothing to fear of demons who are cowards.” 

“Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you- for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart… don’t listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love…” 

“When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens, I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.” 

“I know now that true charity consists in bearing all our neighbours'defects--not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues.” 

“And it is the Lord, it is Jesus, Who is my judge. Therefore I will try always to think leniently of others, that He may judge me leniently, or rather not at all, since He says: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.” 

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